


The Last Day

by mutantvoid



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Character Death, Family, Other, Pre-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:48:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29981040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mutantvoid/pseuds/mutantvoid
Summary: My take on what happened to Peter's parents the day they died. Mary/Peter/Richard [Tom Holland's Spider-Man]
Relationships: Ben Parker/May Parker (Spider-Man), Mary Parker/Richard Parker
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	The Last Day

**Author's Note:**

> Mary's faceclaim is Shelley Hennig, Richard = Jamie Bell and uncle Ben = Nathan Fillion, but obviously you're free to imagine them the way you want to! Thank you for reading.

**POV: Mary Parker | August 10, 2007**

I woke up with the chirping of the birds outside as I slowly blinked to adjust my eyes. I rolled over and saw that the room was still dark with the edges of morning peeking delicately through the red curtains. The light was filtering in gently through the fabric, creating a pleasant radiance in the walls.

My eyes were still a little heavy when they landed on my husband, Richard. Richard slept deeply, unconsciously delicate and elegant. His soft features contracted for a moment while his lips made sudden moves against the pillow. I smiled as I wondered what he was dreaming about. Richard talks in his sleep often and sometimes it sounds like he's speaking fluently in a foreign language. It's funny when it's not plain scary.

As I looked at him my mind drifted to years prior to that moment, and I was bombarded with memories from the past.

I was only twenty-one the first time I saw him. I was studying Psychology and he was acquiring his degree on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Empire State University. Richard was one of the best students there, if not the best, and it's needless to mention my opinion is completely unbiased.

We had a few friends in common, but never really talked much and while I thought he was charming and funny I wasn't particularly interested in dating during my college years. I remember consciously thinking it was a waste of precious time. God, there was something seriously wrong with me back then.

Fortunately a mutual friend set us up on a date on Valentine's day and my previous convictions went down the drain. At first, Richard was shy, which was something I could relate to, but when he started to grow a little more comfortable I realized that we have a lot of things in common.

Dating was fun, getting married was an impulsive decision, but it was after the honeymoon stage that I really knew Richard was the man for me. Experiencing the lowest lows together, being treated with unconditional love and respect, and having the space to be openly vulnerable are all factors that lead me to appreciate him more and more everyday.

He was thirty and I was twenty-eight when I became pregnant with our son. Richard looked stunned when I told him.

_"Are you serious?" He couldn't keep his mouth closed. "You're telling me I'm going to be a father…?"_

_All I did was nod and I'm pretty sure my smile couldn't get any bigger. He jumped up from the couch and practically ran to me. I found myself dancing in his arms, delighted laughter spilling out from both of us. It was a planned pregnancy with coordinated efforts, however we didn't expect to have the luck to conceive a baby so quickly._

_With one final push I felt the most painful and wonderful sensation as our child was born into this world. It's impossible to describe life passing through one's body. I just remember screaming and falling back into the arms of my husband._

_"He's so tiny." Richard whispered to me over the cries of our son._

_We watched our son closely, who was clearly not amused with being expelled out of his warm home. The pain of labor and birth faded in a blow and tears filled my eyes as I realized I was finally holding our baby in my arms._

_He stopped crying at once, looking at us, his parents, with more focus than a newborn should have. He had beautiful brown eyes and a fuzz of brown hair on top of his head. He was easily the most adorable baby we had ever seen._

_"Do we have a name for him?" The nurse asked, touched by our moment._

_Richard glanced at me before answering. "Peter."_

It's crazy to think exactly six years have passed since Peter was born. It seemed like it was just yesterday he was crawling around with his diaper sagging dangerously from his hips.

Peter grew up to become a smart and sensitive kid. If he sees a person who is in an unfortunate situation, he tries to help that person. He has literally tried to give the blanket off his back to someone in need, and when I asked him why, he replied "I have other blankets".

Another incredible thing about him is that he's always happy. He could have a terrible day at school one day, and then return the following day with a big smile on his face. He never holds grudges against anyone. He also has the tendency of thinking of everyone as his friend, which is a little terrifying.

Peter has a hard time understanding that there might be people in the world that could harm him directly or indirectly. With time I'm sure this will change, but for now it's my number one priority to make him understand the world is not a flawless place.

And while the world might not be all rainbows and sunshine, my point of view at this moment certainly came close to perfection. Richard was slowly rubbing his eyes as he stretched his stiff body.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice deeper than usual from sleep.

"I was waiting for you to wake up. It was getting pretty boring actually."

Richard wrinkled his forehead. "Can't allow that. We know what happens when you get bored."

I felt his hands on my waist. "What?"

Suddenly he grabbed me and started tickling me. I wiggled my body and tried to break free but his arms had formed a prison I simply couldn't break through. Tears of laughter ran down my face as I implored him to stop.

"Stop, stop Richard! Let me go please!" I begged desperately. "We're gonna wake up Peter!" I reminded him and he immediately let go of my arms.

"Our birthday boy." Richard said, a little more lucid now, and glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. "We have so much to do." He yawned and I couldn't help yawn too.

We were planning to have a small birthday party with our family and some of our closest friends in the afternoon. The morning was reserved for a visit to the local water park where Peter could enjoy the various wave pools and water rides.

"We shouldn't keep our royal highness waiting." Richard said playfully before giving me a peck on the lips.

We got up with a slow jump and walked out of the room. Cautiously, we headed down the hall to Peter's room and weren't particularly surprised to see he was already awake running around in his Iron-Man pajamas.

His bed was a disarray and most of his toys were positioned in an unorganized circle around him. If I didn't know better I would think he was performing a satanic ritual to invoke the creator of Toys'r'Us or something.

"Peter Benjamin Parker, look at this mess!" My voice was rigid with a hint of gentleness. I hate yelling and being strict but sometimes it's inevitable.

Peter looked up at me with puppy eyes and sighed. "It's my birthday! I need all my favorite toys to show Ned!"

I should've known this was about Edward Leeds, Andrew and Jasmine's kid. Ned and Peter are almost the same age and have been inseparable since kindergarten.

"Well pick one or two, you're not gonna have time to show them all." I placed my hands on my hips.

"But mom!" He whined, fixing his glasses. We recently discovered his vision is a little blurry, so he's been wearing glasses that will potentially correct the problem.

Weak vision is a characteristic that unfortunately Peter inhered from Richard. You wouldn't be able to tell from looking at Richard though since he wears contacts.

"Son, do you think Ned will be able to walk in with so many toys laying around? You also need space to run and play, don't you agree?" Richard said lightly.

Peter thought about it for too long before whispering. "Okay. Can I keep three toys? Pleeease!" He negotiated.

I caved in. "Three toys, and that's it."

Peter did a little victory dance and ran to me, wrapping his arms around my leg. He was getting so tall! I caressed his soft hair in a tender movement and gave him a tight kiss on the forehead.

Richard lifted Peter off his feet, slung him over his shoulder and twirled him around. Peter laughed hysterically, his cheeks rosy with excitement.

"God you're so heavy! How did you get so heavy? An elephant is a feather compared to you! What have you been eating huh? Concrete?"

Peter's giggles filled the room which was like music to my ears. I love my son dearly and it's the little moments that matter most in the grand scheme of things.

"I'm going to prepare breakfast, why don't you get the birthday boy changed?" I said to Richard.

Richard nodded. "We'll be down soon."

I made my way downstairs, opened the cabinets and gathered the ingredients required for Peter's favorite meal, waffles with strawberry syrup. With a yawn I turned on the radio and sang along with a cheesy Timbaland tune. That song seemed to be everywhere lately, and even though it was too repetitive for my taste I enjoyed it and memorized the lyrics. Guilty pleasure galore.

Eventually I completed the meals and meticulously set the table for the three of us. Peter came barreling into the kitchen in a pair of shorts and another Iron-Man t-shirt, his father right behind him with matching clothes. Peter has a huge collection of Iron-Man's merchandise: from Iron-Man toothbrushes to Iron-Man fake cellphones to Iron-Man helmets. To be honest I've stopped counting at this point. His obsession with the super-hero is incomparable. Maybe one day his toys will be classified as valuable relics and he will win a fortune, who knows.

"You look so cool!" I cheered. Peter looked at his dad hesitantly and smiled. Whenever Peter receives compliments he gets timid and doesn't know what to say, usually hiding his face or avoiding eye contact. It's adorable because Richard tends to do the same thing.

"We do, don't we? Well, Pete looks cool, I look like I'm definitely going to a water park." Richard sent me a private glance. He looked ten years younger with those clothes and a shaved face.

"Stooop!" Peter covered his ears in embarrassment.

"Mom and dad can't tell you how cool you look?" I snorted in amusement.

Peter sat down at the table. "Yes but not in front of my friends kay?"

"Your friends are not here now, are they?" I forced a dramatic expression.

"No but they will be soon, I _don_ want them to hear you. I'm six, imma man now." Peter decided. Richard and I laughed quietly to ourselves. Kids.

"We're going to the water park first with aunt May and uncle Ben, remember? Your friends will only be here in the afternoon." I reminded him.

Peter vibrated with happiness in his chair. "Yeah I know!" How could I ever doubt he would forget?

Richard pulled out his camera and the flash went off before I had time to react. Photography as always been a hobby he enjoys. On total we have three large albums filled with pictures of Peter and his adventures; at least half of them framed our son by the little science exploration table we bought him last Christmas. Peter genuinely loves to learn science related stuff, but I think he's mostly obsessed with the idea of spending more time with his dad.

We finished our respective meals and a glance at the clock informed me it was almost 8:30. Richard volunteered to take care of the dishes while I went upstairs to take a quick shower. I wrapped a towel around me and did my hair and makeup, sticking with a natural look since we would be using a lot of sunscreen today.

After picking a comfortable dress I grabbed a large beach bag from the laundry room and gathered together every item we would be needing for today. A sweater for Peter in case he got cold, hand wipes, supplementary towels, disinfectant, lotions. You can never be too prepared.

When I made it to the kitchen Richard was organizing his wallet, probably checking our tickets and calculating how much money we should take with us.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked Richard.

"Yesss!" Peter responded for him from the living room.

"Ready when you are." Richard nodded in alignment with his son.

"Alright, let's go Peter! Turn off the TV please."

Peter moved at a inhuman speed to turn off the TV and I chuckled as I watched him run to the garage. His energy was contagious.

Richard buckled him up in the backseat of the car and our ten minute drive began. Sometimes I felt bad that he had to do all driving. I would like to have a driver's license like him, but unfortunately I never had the time to acquire it in college where I grew accustomed to walking or taking public transit to the places I needed to be.

When we arrived Peter was eager to get out of the car and I could feel him shaking his leg against the back of my seat. As soon as Richard freed him, he started jumping up and down at the sight of May and Ben, signaling for them to approach us.

Ben, Richard's brother, pretended to walk in slow motion to get to us which completely blew Peter's mind. Ben is very similar to Richard in the sense of humor department. They don't have a serious bone in their bodies.

Peter had his mouth opened like he was witnessing witchcraft. "Uncle Ben, how do you do that?" He asked in awe.

"Do what? I'm walking normally. I'm such a normal guy. Nothing to see here." Ben replied quickly. May laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Happy birthday buddy!" May hugged Peter tightly. Ben did the same, except in slow motion before he broke his act.

"I saw the line inside, it's huge, people keep coming in from all angles." May told us after our hellos.

"We need to hurry up then." Richard turned to me as he closed the trunk. "Mary, you have everything?"

"I think I do." I glanced at Peter again and suddenly it hit me. "Wait, where are Peter's glasses?"

Richard followed my gaze and frowned. "Pete, where did you put your glasses?"

"They're on my face." Peter said simply.

"Not those glasses, those are sunglasses. The transparent ones, where are they?" Richard asked patiently.

Peter shrugged. "I don't know. I don't have 'em."

Richard checked the backseat in case Peter brought the glasses he needed with him, but just as he expected he didn't. "Oh, great, I think we left them at home. I must've seen him with the sunglasses and just assumed I gave him the other ones too." Richard closed his eyes in frustration. May and Ben stared at us expectantly.

"He really needs them, the doctor said he shouldn't be without them for more than thirty minutes during the day." I sighed.

Richard scratched the back of his neck and appeared to be thinking deeply about something. "I have to go back."

I looked at him. "No, wait, I'll go with you."

Richard shook his head. "It's not necessary."

"No offense Richard, but you're not exactly the quickest at finding missing items." I declared lightly. Richard is one of the smartest people I know, but give him a disorganized closet, cabinet or floor and he is beyond useless.

"Okay fine." He said slowly. "May, Ben, do you mind waiting for us for a bit? Twenty minutes tops?"

"Of course not, Ric. Do you want us to go in or should we wait in the car?" Ben adjusted his cap.

"Wait in the car, we won't take long. Sorry guys, I hate keeping people waiting." Richard slapped his own forehead dramatically.

May smiled. "No sweat."

"Pete, we'll be right back alright? Stay with your uncles!" Richard shouted over the buzz of cars arriving.

Peter crossed his arms. "Nooo! Pleeease let's go in now! Mom please!"

"You have to be patient." I handed the beach bag to May. "His water is in there. Sorry, I promise we will make it up to you."

May quickly placed it over her shoulder. "Mary don't, these things happen. Just call us when you get here."

Peter kicked an innocent rock on the floor while I ruffled his hair. I watched them leave, Ben in front of Peter trying to perk him up a little. I have a feeling that's not going to be an easy task. Patience is a skill that Peter is not very familiar with yet.

I returned to my spot in the passenger seat and found myself using my hand as a fan as Richard started the engine. The summers in Queens can be excruciatingly hot, and the one thing I can't tolerate is intense heat. Some days the weather is so explosive all I want to do is lie on the cool tile floor.

I stared out the window, watching the small groups of people walking along the sidewalks and talking among themselves. As usual, we turned on the radio to listen to music, and surprise, surprise, that Timbaland song was on again. I sang along and Richard joined me, making up lyrics when he didn't know them. I couldn't help laugh at his creative replacements.

We were entering the 65th road that leads to our neighborhood when thirstiness came over me and I drank some water from my bottle. When I was refreshed I placed the bottle between my legs and looked up, gasping as I witnessed another car suddenly flashing in front of ours.

I heard Richard slamming on the breaks to try to avoid a crash but it was already too late. I gripped the seat tightly, feeling it separating from my body as our car slid to the left and tipped over again and again. My eyes closed automatically and I registered my head banging against the window, the cracking of glass invading my ears before I fell violently back into my seat.

For a while I sat there paralyzed, not knowing exactly what happened. I tried to turn my head to Richard's side to check if he was okay but for some reason my body wasn't reacting to the movements my brain commanded. We were hanging upside down, held only by your seat belts.

My chest was burning when I breathed and no matter how hard I tried the air refused to enter my lungs. I couldn't get to Richard, but I could detect from the corner of my eye he wasn't moving.

"Richard?" I whispered into the hot current floating around me, but it came out more like a muffled cry as tears blurred my vision. Was Richard dead? Surely he didn't die from the impact. I didn't die from the impact! I had to get us out of here!

I tried to move my right arm and it didn't seem to budge even an inch, it felt as if it were detached from my body. Full-blown panic set in. Wait, was _I_ dead? Was this hell? My head palpitated as if someone had tried to cut it open without anesthesia.

A new pain ripped across my neck, the sensation causing black spots to form in front of my eyes. Every little sound around me felt like I was hearing them from underwater, distorted and down pitched yet it was still too loud. Blood started streaming from my mouth as I was suddenly very aware of a ray of sunshine hitting a piece of glass in the distance, the intense light blinding me momentarily.

All I could see when I closed my eyes was Peter's face before he vanished from my reach. I followed my boy and a state of profound blackness soon took me.


End file.
